A “f#ck it” ruling in any pursuit can turn into one of the most destructive forces in the playing field of your life. It creates the precedence for a pattern… a patterned way of (under) living. Sitting at my desk, I glanced at the contest entry form and then back to my phone. I had […]

Hunger Strikes. Over this past weekend, as if my body received the “Seven Weeks Out” notice, I start to feel the familiar symptoms of leaning out… Sunday afternoon My daughter, Desiree and I open her bedroom window to greet “Dada”. Home early from work, my husband is in the garage unloading groceries from the trunk […]

When you know the “why”, you make decisions from a place of empowerment… versus fear, anxiety, or desperation. #1 Meal spacing matters. How long do I have to wait between meals?” As I glanced down at the text message from my client, I was initially puzzled. Maybe she couldn’t do simple math? I mean, given […]

Over the years, there have been rumors, casting calls, and attempts to start a reality show featuring bodybuilding competitors. At this point in contest prep, I find humor in the concept – for a reality TV show about bodybuilders would be truthfully the most boring television show ever! The road to stage and, really, any serious […]

Twelve weeks out is the traditional turning point for most competitors. Last Friday was my turning point from weeks in to weeks out. “Weeks out” means you have now officially set your sights on a show…with a specific date! Prior to this, the emphasis is more on building muscle and conditioning. By “conditioning”, I mean everything from the literal to the symbolic. […]

Building without “the bulge” is critical to the female psyche. And, Week 4 is where your dedication starts to pay off. People start to notice or look at you differently, so you don’t mind the number on the scale…even though, it has possibly gone up! Many of my clients report the same. They get frustrated by the slow-moving scale, but […]

Holidays are approaching and, as we head toward the finish line of 2016, I stop and admire the kindred spirit we have cultivated in the studio this year. I see Star clients welcoming new clients with open arms (often literally…) and encouraging each other to their personal best…whether that’s a heavier weight in BodyPump or to venture into a […]

“The imposition of physical reluctance upon the self”… gaman (我慢) is one of those Japanese words that doesn’t translate neatly into English. Deeply-ingrained in the Japanese culture from Zen-Buddhist virtues, gaman means “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity”…in silence. Keeping your private affairs, problems, and complaints silent demonstrates strength and politeness. The idea is you are are rising above poor behavior or difficult […]

What does it mean to be a fit mama? There are gifts in every day…it need not be reserved for birthday week (or weeks plural as this self-professed brat sees it!) Today, the gift was unexpected. I was teaching my last class before vacation…willPower Barre-Fusion with one of my mother-daughter client duos (typically trio). The […]

Are your fitness goals to be a better athlete or to look better? Most of us proclaim it be the former, but wish it to be the latter. We see a friend, colleague, or acquaintance on stage in a bikini and think… That could be me… I have that in me… I wish for and want […]

I initially opted out of offering BodyCombat in-studio. “Combat” sounded diametrically opposed to the studio’s Dream big. Desire more. mantra… filled with fluffy white clouds and messaging of self-love, healing, and empowerment in fitness. As fitness into healing has run course through my life and as it starts to run course through the lives of […]

Tasked to come up with a “text-sized” snippet to describe the martial arts form of Muay Thai, my BodyCombat training team ran through the obvious… The Art of 8 Limbs Blood Sport The National Sport of Thailand …but, in delving deeper into what made Muay Thai so “deadly” distinctive from the other martial arts, we found our golden nugget: […]